In times of rising prices exhibition looks at ways of saving energy

MORE than 85 exhibitors will gather next weekend in 6,500 square metres of space to showcase products and services to help cut the cost of power, a sensitive issue in times when people’s incomes are falling ans the cost of power increases.
Products on show at SAVENERGY 2013 will include:
Heating systems using renewable energy sources
Photovoltaic systems
Wind power
Systems to monitor electricity usage
Electric and hybrid vehicles
In parallel to the SAVENERGY exhibition the Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEV) will organise the sixth water technology exhibition ENVIROTEC 2013. Those taking part aim to protect the environment of Cyprus and improve the use of water sources.
Twenty companies will take part, with an exhibition area of 1,000m2.
Products on show include:
Systems to reuse water
Biological cleaning
Water filters
During the opening of the exhibition awards will be given to businesses that have saved energy by using innovative systems. This will be €8,500 to a business and €1,700 to a private home considered to best use energy.
Renewable energy sources in Cyprus in 2012 accounted for 7.5 per cent of the energy used, surpassing the target for the period 2015-16. The island’s European commitments aim to see this figure rise to 13 per cent by 2020, and the energy ministry expects to succeed. A national target of 10 per cent of energy use provided for by renewables by 2016 also looks set to be met.
The biggest tool towards meeting these targets, according to the ministry, are grant schemes. Since February 2004 when they were first introduced €91.1 million has been given to 47,825 schemes.
One scheme the government is currently putting focus on is net metering by private homes.
It is not only the government that is working towards reduicing the price of electricity, so is the Electricity Authority (EAC)
According to the authrotiy’s general director, Stelios Stylianou, in 2011 and 2012 the cost of fuel accounted for 63 and 59 per cent respectively of the total expenses of the EAC.
Auuthority efforts to see bills reduced include the trialling of a project to save money on road lighting, which will see a saving of up to 48 per cent by 2014. The project involves 16 local authorities and 63,000 LED lights.
In terms of photovolataics, EAC is developing a park at its substation in Tseri capable of producing 3MW of electricity which will be up and running by the end of 2013 or the beginning of 2014. Also, it has signed a contract to create a windpark in Ayia Anna which will produce 10.8MW of electricity.
SAVENERGY 2013
September 20-22, halls 5 and 6 at the State Fairgrounds in Engomi, Nicosia. Opening hours: Friday 4-10pm, Saturday 3-10pm, Sunday 12-10pm. Free. www.savenergy.org.cy

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.